Memento
by Helena Mariel
Summary: "If I can help him remember," Zelda whispered as she gently brushed a strand of hair from Link's face, "I will, after all of these years, be able to tell him how I truly feel." A romantic collection of musings based on Breath of the Wild. ZeLink.
1. Kakariko

**Author's Note:** This story is my lighthearted attempt at filling in gaps left by Breath of the Wild's story. As I've played BotW for the past few weeks, I often found myself asking questions that remained unanswered by the game's story progression. I will humbly attempt to create a story that respects each character's individual traits and personalities, but as an author I will also take creative liberties—especially regarding the game's ending. I hope that you enjoy this fanfic, and please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions.

Best,

Helena Mariel

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all rights belong to Nintendo.

 **Chapter One:** Kakariko

* * *

"Standing before you is a path that transcends the flow of time.

It is a portal to the past… to the very place where Zelda now waits.

Go bravely, Link. If everything is as I suspect, the reunion with Zelda you've fought so hard for lies beyond this gate."

-Impa _, Skyward Sword_

 _xxx_

Strong gusts of wind rustled the dense treetops, sending off hundreds of diminutive red and yellow leaves flying into the air. The tiny leaves littered the sidewalks and, despite Maiko's best efforts to collect the leaves into orderly piles, a light breeze was sure to come and blow the leaves away in a flurry of colors and textures that added depth to the otherwise quiet mountain village. Zelda had been watching the gardener fret over the leave piles for several hours now; that is, whenever she could afford to take a break from the bouts of anxious pacing and fastidious fretting that occasionally overcame her. She was currently walking in circles around the wooden deck, her slender hands tightly coiled into fists that hung weakly by her sides. She could see the sun slowly setting down behind the grassy green hilltops towards the West. Her emerald eyes caught glimpse of a family of ducks flying in a v-shaped formation, likely in a rush to make it back home before it became dark. They did not have a lot of time left. The hour of twilight was upon them all; it cast shadows of deep purples and plum hues across the quaint village while the setting sun adorned the evening sky with fleeting orange and ruby rays of light.

An overwhelming sense of melancholy suddenly overcame Zelda. The familiarity of the scene brought forth a long-forgotten memory from a life she had lived long, long ago. ' _The land of Hyrule had once been swallowed whole by twilight,'_ Zelda recalled. The passing memory triggered a wave of involuntary spasms across her body. That time, it had been Ganondorf, the Gerudo thief, who had desired to plunge Hyrule into eternal darkness. Judged for his treacherous crimes against the Royal Family and the kingdom of Hyrule, he was sentenced to death. And yet, in a cruel twist of fate, the Sages were forced to banish him to the Twilight Realm when he proved to be the wielder of the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf had been too powerful to be destroyed by their power alone. The Gerudo's thirst for vengeance had sought to destroy their realm, and yet despite his cursed power, he had proved to be no match against the Hero of Time.

Time after time, good had always triumphed over evil. The Hero of Time would always destroy the Calamity. It was the way it had been foretold by the three benevolent, Sacred Goddesses—Din, Farore, and Nayru—since the dawn of Hyrule.

 _'Link... you are the light... our light... that must shine upon Hyrule once again!'_

Engaged in profound thoughts from the past, Zelda lost all notion of time. The murmur of the nearby brook in the background slowly lulled the princess into a hazy stupor. After all, she had been fighting Calamity Ganon for a century, without reprieve or warmth, without beauty or kindness or love. She was so tired… Her eyelids suddenly grew heavy, and despite her best efforts to keep them open, Zelda knew her exhaustion was stronger than her desire to remain awake and alert. Struggling not to plummet down on the floor all at once, she slowly made her down to the cold wooden planks. The princess of Hyrule dozed off to the melody of a waterfall cascading not far off from where she sat and the sound of the evening birds calling out for one another.

 _xxx_

Despite her weary state, sleep did not come easy for Zelda, who continuously drifted in and out of consciousness, often being pulled into slumber by happy memories of her appointed knight. Zelda remembered the grassy meadows where they had spent hours hunting for items such as toads and mushrooms to aid her research. She recalled huddling next to him beneath a large oak tree while torrential rains fell upon them from the Heavens. She remembered his icy blue eyes, silent, fierce, and determined—like those of a proud wolf—peering directly into her soul. She could hear his muted footsteps loyally following hers wherever she went. The sound of his elusive laughter rung in her ears, its rarity arousing.

However, her mind was also cruel and it would force her to remember their savage battle against the Calamity. Becoming fused to Ganon's primal form had constituted a desolate act of sacrifice that had drained out every ounce of happiness from her heart and her mind; only the thought of being reunited with Link and avenging the deaths of her father and the Champions kept Zelda sane for so many decades.

In her dream, she was transported against her will back to Hyrule Castle. She heard the screams of agony from the guards and her citizens as the corrupted Guardians turned against their rightful masters. _'Father?'_ Zelda called out desperately, and yet she received no reply. He was dead—they were all dead. Urbosa, Daruk, Revali, and Mipha... and Link... No! Link was alive; she had seen him defeat Calamity Ganon! _'I need to get out of here!'_ Zelda knew that they were not safe, not even in her dreams. She needed to go back and wake up, before it was too late and he was taken away from her for good.

Zelda had lost him once, long ago. She had waited a century for him to come back to her. The wait had nearly broken her spirit that time; she could not afford to lose her Hero again.

 _xxx_

"Zelda," a voice gently called out to her from afar. _'Is that you, Link?'_ she wondered, evoking the smiling face of a child who, clad in green, had saved Hyrule from evil with the sword that glowed in the dark...

"Zelda, my child, wake up!"

Zelda awoke with a distraught gasp. The world spun around her, sending her into a dizzy spell that momentarily took away her eyesight. She was fearful and disoriented; she slowly realized that night had crept unexpectedly on her and had brought on the cold mountain air. Impa stood by her side, a concerned look tainting her otherwise gentle elderly expression. "My child, how long have you been out here? You're as cold as white chu jelly. Guard!"

A guard immediately ran over to them and knelt in reverence on one knee. "Master Impa, how can I be of service?"

"Take the young one inside—quickly! Place her in my chambers. And please summon Paya."

"As you wish, oh wise one," the guard answered and scooped up Zelda's slender body into his arms. "Impa, this is unnecessary!" Zelda objected as they went inside Impa's dwelling. The gust of warm air emanating from the hearth helped Zelda realize just how cold it had actually been outside, and the very real danger she had placed herself in. "I must insist that you put me down right this second. I am not helpless, you know," Zelda pleaded, evoking a profound sigh from Impa. "Put the princess down, then," the older woman unhappily conceded.

"Thank you," the princess said gently, smiling at the guard who bowed respectfully and quietly exited the main hall. She leaned down and reached for Impa's hand, which the Sheikah elder responded to by gently wrapping her bony fingers around the young woman's hand. "I have missed you, my child..." Impa whispered, cupping Zelda's chin and examining her closely. "Not a day over seventeen on the outside; you're as lovely as the last time I laid my eyes on you... and yet, the flow of time has been cruel to your soul as well as to my body." Zelda shook her head emphatically. "No, Impa. The goddesses have not—and will never—hand us anything that we are not prepared to properly confront and conquer valiantly. We have complied with our duty, and now Calamity Ganon is gone. We have been given a second chance; the flow of time is not cruel... it is merciful, for it has allowed us to be together once more," Zelda replied, brushing a stray tear from Impa's cheek.

Paya entered the room soon after, her arms full of linen sheets and towels. "Grandmother, I have the supplies for Princess Zelda's room," she informed, her skittish eyes jumping back and forth between the two women. "Thank you, dear. Please bring those upstairs, and ready some hot water for my tea. This old lady's bones are certainly aching tonight."

Zelda turned her head to the shoji screen farthest from them, towards the southernmost point of the building. She could not bring herself to ask Impa about him; guilt and an indescribable sadness threatened to consume her whole. "Go to him, Zelda. He has been waiting for you too, you know." Zelda swallowed with great difficulty; her throat constricted tightly as she did her best to pull back the tears that had threatened to escape ever since they had made it out of the castle. He had been unconscious then, and although Zelda had tried to wake him, he had remained unresponsive. Thankfully, Impa had foreseen the moment the battle would take place in and had sent a squadron of Sheikah guards ahead of time to search for them and bring them back safely to Kakariko.

"I'm... afraid," she hesitated, her stomach twisting into nervous knots. "I wonder... will he remember me?"

Impa smiled. "Of course he will, child. Like I said... he has been waiting for you. Go," Impa said encouragingly, and Zelda obeyed.

 _xxx_

Zelda knelt by the futon where Link lay, motionless. Nervously, she adjusted the soft, fur-lined covers over his broad shoulders, her hands trembling violently. She chided herself for being so weak and so utterly insecure whenever it came to the Chosen Hero. His face remained still, his lips parted slightly, with his mused hair encasing his head like a bronze halo of silk. If his eyes were to part open for just one moment, emerald would meet icy blue. Her teenage heart desired only to melt the ice that surrounded his heavily guarded soul, to break the chains that bound him to his duty, to throw caution to the wind and press her eager lips against his...

She loved him. She had loved him for over one hundred years. She'd known, of course, of her true feelings for him; and yet, she had not allowed herself to delight in and openly experience her love for him. For duty, honor, her role as the princess of Hyrule and the goddess Hylia reborn—as well as his role as her Champion and knight—impeded her from ever permitting herself to even fantasize about a world where they could be together.

His death had changed everything, however.

Losing Link had been the key to unlocking her sealing power. It was then, as she held his corpse in her arms, that she realized that her love for the Hero did not weaken her. It was quite the opposite: it made her stronger. And although she had never had the opportunity to tell him how she truly felt before the Shrine of Resurrection took his memories away in exchange for his life, in her heart Zelda held on to the hope that he felt the same.

Zelda would pray tonight, and continue to pray for as long as it was necessary. She would pray for Link and ask the Goddesses to heal his wounds. "Oh, Hylia..." Zelda murmured, her trembling fingers softly tracing the hollows of his cheeks. "Please aid your Champion in his time of need. Allow his physical wounds to heal, those received in battle as he fought to save your earthly realm..."

"For, if I can help him remember," Zelda whispered as she gently brushed a strand of hair from Link's face, "I will, after all of these years, be able to tell him how I truly feel."


	2. Lon Lon Ranch

**Author's Note:** Many thanks for your lovely reviews and your interest in this story. The fact that people are taking the time to read this makes me very happy indeed. Sorry for the long wait. I hope you also enjoy chapter two.

Best,

Helena Mariel

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** The Legend of Zelda and all rights belong to Nintendo.

 **Chapter Two: Lon Lon Ranch**

* * *

"All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing... I was so young...I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm… Now, it is time for me to make up for my mistakes. You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time. When peace returns to Hyrule, it will be time for us to say good-bye... Now, go home, Link! Regain your lost time! Home... where you are supposed to be, the way you are supposed to be..."

-Zelda, _Ocarina of Time_

 _xxx_

A group of roosters, perched on tiled rooftops with their blue feathers rustling in the wind, crowed in unison; their synchronized chorus proclaimed the arrival of dawn to the rest of world. Households and businesses began to stir and show the first—albeit somewhat lethargic—signs of life. The farmers, who lived on the north-west quadrant of Kakariko, left their homes just as the first rays of light shone over the silhouette of the mountain range towards the east. They silently marched towards the fields of pumpkins and rice, their hoes and farming tools in hand. The women left shortly after, heading their way in unison to the nearby river while carrying loads of laundry in woven baskets. A thick curtain of fog spiraled lazily around the Pillars of Levia, adding a wistful touch of mystery to the otherwise quiet, uneventful mountain village.

Inside the manor, the creaking of old floorboards echoed noisily across the living quarters as the domestic workers rised to perform their early morning chores. Fireplaces were lit, candles were extinguished, and floors were wiped cleaned with damp washcloths. In the kitchen, Laira and her staff worked diligently to prepare the morning meal for the household; they baked loaves of Tabantha bread, sliced freshly picked apples from the orchard, and boiled eggs brought in by Cado from the village's communal chicken coop. In the middle of the ample kitchen stood Paya, who was discreetly waiting for an opportunity to sneak a piece of bread off from the counter. Across the room, Laira wistfully watched Cado as he walked back to the village. "That man sure is a catch… I don't know what that Rola was thinking, letting go of a man like that. They _do_ say that one woman's loss is another woman's treasure…"

Paya shrugged sheepishly as she stealthily sliced the loaf of bread with a knife. Love and relationships were not exactly areas of expertise for her. "Hands off, Paya," Laira happily warned the girl as she stood by the cookpot, from where she vigilantly watched over the boiling eggs. "Breakfast will be served _to everyone_ in thirty minutes."

The teenage girl groaned loudly. "Oh, come on, Laira. I'm starving!" Paya whined, eyeing the warm bread greedily. Laira shot a definite warning look at the girl. "You know the rules, missy. My kitchen, my rules. Elder Impa might be the master of this home, but I am the captain of this operation. No one eats before everything is set on the table."

Paya pouted in defeat; there was no use trying to convince the stubborn woman. Laira had been working her grandmother's kitchen ever since Paya could remember. The Sheikah woman was a master in her craft; people would visit the village from all over Hyrule in search of her apple tarts and her fortified pumpkin soups, which travelers preferred for their defensive properties.

"Fine," she conceded and reluctantly left the warmth and pleasant smells of the kitchen. As she made her way into the foyer of the house, her eyes wandered towards Link's room and her mood considerably soured. The hero had been unconscious for several days now, ever since he and the princess came back from battle against the Calamity. Her grandmother had assigned two healers to assist with the hero's caretaking and hygiene; she suddenly remembered that she should be preparing the supplies for their arrival. Paya had voluntarily chosen to assist them on several occasions; she couldn't help but take advantage of any opportunity to be by Link's side. She sadly thought of Princess Zelda and could only imagine the pain she must have been going through.

Paya harbored no jealousy or ill-will towards the princess. Her selfless sacrifice had saved the entirety of land of Hyrule and kept the dangers of the Calamity far away from its citizens. Her grandmother had issued a kind warning to not get her hopes up about Link. "He and the princess have a bond that transcends the restraints of space and time," Impa had told Paya shortly after the guards had brought Link's wounded body into the house, "you would do well, my dear, to get rid of any illusions regarding the boy. The will of Hylia has eternally bound their paths together; no earthly force could ever dream of tearing them apart."

 _xxx_

Every bone in Zelda's body screamed in agony. The pain had stirred her from a string of convoluted dreams that had kept her from resting through the night. She grudgingly cracked open her eyes and immediately closed them again. Sunlight was pouring in freely from the window, flooding the room with its bright rays. "Hylia, what a night…" Zelda murmured in protest and stretched her aching limbs. She suddenly realized that she had fallen asleep on a chair by Link's bedside. Zelda massaged her neck with her hands, gently working out the knots and tension there as she looked intently at Link. He was still unresponsive, but his position had slightly changed since she'd fallen asleep, which fueled a flame of hope in her heart. Movement meant that he was one step closer to being responsive. "Good morning, Link," she smiled and, feeling unusually brave, reached out for his hand.

A knock on the door surprised Zelda, who was too slow to pull her hand away before the door was pulled opened. "P-p-princess Zelda!" Paya stuttered in shock and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "I d-didn't expect a-anyone in Master Link's room!" Flustered, Zelda nearly jumped off the chair. She hurriedly ran her fingers through her tousled hair in a half-hearted attempt to make herself look somewhat acceptable. "My apologies, Paya… I must have fallen asleep looking after Link last night. I'll let you work in peace," Zelda replied, doing her best to sound regal despite the awkward situation. She smiled at Paya and left the room quickly, but not without taking note of the amused stares of the healers who obviously found the situation entertaining.

Zelda made her way across the manor and stepped outside, back to the balcony she had now become so familiar with. She wrapped the wool blanket she had slept with tight across her body and watched a small group of children running after one another. She spotted Koko and Cottla trailing towards the end of the group. Their carefree laughter, so innocent and pure, elicited a smile from the princess. The girls saw Zelda and waved excitedly at the princess, who waved back in return.

Zelda heard footsteps approaching, and turned around to find Impa observing her kindly. "Blessed be the soul that is healed by the child's inner light," Impa said as she, too, watched the children, who were already making their way into the village's humble schoolhouse. "It is an old Hylian proverb. It was one of your mother's favorites." Zelda glanced curiously at Impa. "Was it? I was just thinking… I hadn't seen the smiling faces of children in so long…" Zelda whispered, a wave of melancholy suddenly overwhelming her. The two women remained silent for several minutes until Impa broke their amicable silence.

"I overheard what happened this morning," she spoke cautiously, waiting to gauge her princess's reaction. Just as the elder had suspected, Zelda's cheeks flushed and her hands curled into fists by her sides, a sure way of telling whenever something was occupying the girl's mind. "I… it was an accident. A terrible transgression, nonetheless," Zelda mumbled, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "I fell asleep. I know it wasn't proper of me to share a room with Link, regardless of the situation. It won't happen again."

Impa huffed. "And why ever not?"

Zelda turned towards Impa, her mouth agape in shock. "W-what? What do you mean by that?"

Impa chuckled gently. "My child, you and I have lived through different eras, our paths separated by a chasm for one hundred years. Unfortunately, all of those we knew and held close to our hearts are gone. The ladies, the dukes, the counts and their wives; all of those who would have rejoiced at the opportunity to insult your virtue have been lost. No one here will judge you for your so-called transgression."

An indescribable jolt of energy coursed through her veins. It was a combination of overwhelming sadness for the past as well as an overpowering anticipation for the future. "They are all gone. Mother and Father are no longer with me as well. Only you remain here by my side, Impa. I do not know how to proceed."

"The answer is set plainly in your sight. All you need to do is open your eyes."

Zelda frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It is obvious to me. A century has not changed a thing inside your heart. You love Link. You love him madly, and you have for a very long time."

"Have I?" Zelda asked, amused as usual at Impa's intuitive observations.

"Now, now, let's not play at being coy, my child. The real question is, will you tell him, when the moment comes? Will you ask him to sacrifice his duty in order to secure your happiness and his?"

The princess remained silent.

 _xxx_

There was nothing like the smell of old books. Books had a unique quality to them; they all had a certain weight and feel. Their size and binding were unique characteristics that responded to the maker and the region of their creation. Some pages were thicker and had a certain grit to them, while others were so thin that light could nearly cross through the paper. Zelda enjoyed the feeling of passing the pages with her fingertips and the sensation of dragging a finger down a book's spine. Inside books, Zelda had often found the answers to her questions and was sometimes left with more unanswered questions, which had left her restless and unable to sleep on more than one occasion. It took Zelda a long time to understand that her quest for knowledge and her passion for books had served to lessen the pain of losing her mother and her sole link to the generations of Zeldas who had mastered their connections with their spiritual powers. Inside of a library, Zelda felt invincible and, interestingly enough, free to explore her vulnerability. She did not know everything there was to know about the world, but that did not matter; she could always try to.

Zelda had spent the rest of the day locked away in Impa's private library reading over books she had not had her hands on since before the return of the Calamity. As a result of Impa's meticulous care, most of the books about the Divine Beasts and the Guardians had remained intact. At the time, it has been decided by the King and his Royal Council that the tomes rightly belonged to the Sheikah tribe, and that they should be the ones to preserve them as part of their cultural and intellectual heritage. Zelda was glad it had been decided so. She would have been devastated if that part of her old life had been destroyed in the fires that consumed the castle during the war. By the time she slipped away from the library, it was already midnight and the entirety of the house was eerily quiet.

She carefully made her way towards Link's room, her bare feet muffling the creaking of the floorboards. The wood felt cold to the touch, sending shivers down her arms. She threaded down the stairs, taking one step at time, and felt foolish. Why was she sneaking around? _'It feels… fun,'_ she sheepishly admitted to herself. Sneaking in the dark towards a boy's room… at a time, it would have been shameful and it would have destroyed her reputation, but it was just as Impa had said. No one who would have chastised her for it was around. _'Not even Father,'_ Zelda thought, and the cloud of excitement rapidly dissipated at the realization. What _would_ have he thought of her actions? It had always been clear to her that the King had shown great regard for Link as a warrior and as someone who had always conducted himself with the upmost dedication and respect to his position as a loyal servant to the crown. Would one hundred years have changed Link's disposition? Could they ever become true friends? Or would he forever be cemented on his vows as a Knight of the Kingdom of Hyrule?

Zelda had no answers to these questions.

Finally, Zelda entered Link's room and noticed that the healers had changed his clothes. He now wore the cloth of the Champions, a shade of periwinkle blue that had always made his eyes stand out. His hair hung limply by the sides of his face; she experienced an irresistible desire to brush it back into a ponytail as he had always preferred it. " _It keeps it away from my face and my line of sight,"_ he had answered simply when she had asked him about it, as if it were the most obvious choice in the world for him to make. She giggled to herself at the memory and sat back on the chair she had spent the previous night in.

"Here we are again, Link," she spoke, feeling at ease. The tranquility she felt near his presence could only be rivaled by that of a room full of books. "I was thinking today about one of our last trips to Lon Lon Ranch. We had just gone into the season of Spring, and the meadows were littered with daisies and Summerwing Butterflies fluttering in the air. You decided it was a good idea for me to become accustomed to socializing with horses before I was to ride my first Royal Steed out in the lands by myself. Randolph and I weren't getting along; he kept trying to buck me off whenever I tried to ride him in the stables. Father was disappointed, you see, for he had spent a good share of rupees searching for the best horse breeders in all of Hyrule. You were—or are still, I suspect—a natural at it. The horses loved you. You did not even need to bribe them with apples to get them to come to you… 'Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount; that's the only way it will know how you truly feel.' I remember your advice fondly. I felt so proud to be able to finally mount Randolph without help and ride him on our travels. Our relationship only became stronger after that. It was all thanks to you, of course, like so many other memories I treasure."

Zelda wiped away a few stray tears off from her cheeks and took a deep inhale in an attempt to calm her nerves. "I wonder," she whispered, her composure cracking, "if the memory will be lost with me. One of the horses tried to nip my hand as I offered him an apple and you… you laughed. You laughed without restraint, and it was the happiest I ever saw you in my presence. What will I do with all of these memories if you are not here to share them with me? Everyone is gone," she sobbed, "what will I do if you do not remember?"

She felt a hand gently grasp hers and gasped loudly.

"I remember that day, Princess," he whispered throatily, and smiled. "I remember."


End file.
